Fight Against Puppy Mills: Urge your Legislator to Vote Against SB1882 / HB2824
The animals need your help!
UPDATE: March 30, 2017
Great News! The bill is not progressing in the house but we still encourage animal lovers to contact their State Senators in opposition to SB 1882 and make your voices heard!
A new bill was recently proposed in the Illinois Legislature that would create a loophole allowing for the sale of pets from breeding mills. Although the bill is being touted as a microchip bill, hidden in the text is a provision which would combat 2016’s Chicago Companion Animal and Consumer Protection Ordinance which prevented Chicago pet stores from sourcing pets from inhumane breeding operations.
Although Section 3.8 does require that pet stores check the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) website to ensure that the breeder is in compliance with current regulations, it also provides a loophole that pet stores will still be in compliance with the law if the USDA website is unavailable and they are unable to confirm that the breeder is licensed and providing humane conditions for pets in their facilities. As you may know, on February 3, 2017 the USDA pulled this data from their website and will only make the data available through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The proposed legislation does not require pet stores to submit a request through FOIA, and will create a loophole allowing pet stores operators to source their animals from puppy mills where animals are kept in inhumane conditions. This section will also prohibit localities from passing their own legislation to provide protections regarding the sale of dogs and cats in their communities. Thus, this bill would effectively overturn the Chicago Companion Animal and Consumer Protection Ordinance that prohibits Chicago area stores from selling pets bred in inhumane conditions.
Furthermore, USDA’s standards are woefully inadequate and even if pet stores were able to confirm that breeders were in compliance, they still could be sourcing pets kept in dreadful conditions. This legislation is taking a step backwards in protections to companion animals in Illinois and must not be passed.
We believe that some legislators may have signed onto this bill focusing only on the microchip section, not fully understanding the detrimental impact on Illinois pets. We encourage animal lovers to oppose this bill and contact their legislators to bring this loophole to their attention.
Read the text of bills SB1882 and HB2824.
Locate your State Senator and urge them to to oppose this bill!